Four new Constitutional Court judges
Country launches culinary diplomacy
Curacao and DR work for signing of Partial Scope Agreement
Agreements signed with Serbia
Dominican expats honored at National Theater
New Center for Infants with Disabilities
Natural gas finding in Villa Tapia?
Presidente beer brewery fined for anti-competitive practices
Coal arrives for Punta Catalina thermoelectric central
Santo Domingo Metro breaks down with unknown fault
Judgment against government in Sun Land case is reversed
Oldest Dominican dies at 117 years
Polyplas explosion update
Man sentenced for people smuggling
Long Night of the Museums in the Colonial City
Four new Constitutional Court judges
The National Council of the Magistracy (CNM) announced on 10 December 2018 the replacements for four retiring Constitutional Court judges. They are career judges Alba Luisa Beard and Domingo Antonio Gil, and professors of law José Alejandro Ayuso and Miguel Valera Montero. They will be sworn in at 6:30pm at 11 December 2018 at the Presidential Palace. Rafael Díaz Filpo was also chosen first replacement of the Constitutional Court presiding judge, Milton Ray Guevara.
Read some details of their backgrounds:
65-year old Domingo Antonio Gil is a graduate of the Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) and has several master's degrees in protection of human rights, rights and fundamental freedoms and their guarantees. He is also a professor of law at the PUCMM and has published several academic works on Law.
Puerto Plata-born Alba Luisa Beard was the judge who heard the case of Bahía de Las Águilas whereby annulled 1,066 property titles issued to individuals in a fraudulent manner were annulled. She currently serves as judge of the Eighth Chamber of the Land Court of the Original Jurisdiction of the National District.
41-year old Miguel Valera Montero is a founding partner of De Camps Vásquez & Valera and co-leader of the litigation and alternative dispute resolution practice group at the firm. His professional practice focuses mainly on litigation and alternative dispute resolution processes, with emphasis on civil and commercial litigation, constitutional law and administrative matters. He is a professor of law at the PUCMM.
54-year old José Alejandro Ayuso is a lawyer and consultant with more than 25 years of professional practice in the private and public sector. He is a graduate in law of the UNPHU with masters studies in universities in Spain and France. He is a professor of International Economic Law and coordinator of the Master in International Relations at the PUCMM.
The National Council of Magistracy selection committee was made up by:
Mariano Germán Mejía, president of the Supreme Court of Justice; Reinaldo Pared Pérez, president of the Senate; Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez; Radhamés Camacho, president of the Chamber of Deputies; José Paliza, senator for Puerto Plata and president of the Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM); Josefa Castillo, deputy for the PRM; and Fran Soto, Supreme Court of Justice judge and CNM secretary.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...-ayuso-y-miguel-valera-nuevos-jueces-tribunal
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-constitucional-ya-cuenta-con-4-nuevos-jueces
http://detrasdelrumor.com.do/conozc...ro-nuevos-jueces-del-tribunal-constitucional/
https://www.cdn.com.do/2018/12/10/c...ro-nuevos-jueces-del-tribunal-constitucional/
Country launches culinary diplomacy
The Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) presented on Friday, 7 December 2018, what it describes as its strategy for culinary diplomacy. The plan is to use Dominican missions abroad to promote Dominican cuisine. A unit has been created as a dependency of the Deputy Ministry for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation at the Ministry. Ines Páez, better known as Chef Tita, is the advisor to the plan.
Minister Miguel Vargas announced in a press release that the country had already been declared the capital of culinary culture for the Caribbean by the
Academia Iberoamericana de Gastronomía and the Real Academia Española de Gastronomía. This creates a stage to share our culinary attributes with the rest of the world, says the Ministry.
Vargas said that a public-private consulting board is backing the effort. Members are the ministries of Agriculture, Tourism, Culture, the Center for Export & Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), the Dominican Exporters Association (Adoexpo), the National Hotels and Tourism Association (Asonahores), clusters and Dominican culinary associations.
A Culinary Diplomacy Manual will be prepared for use by the embassies, consulates and the Instituto del Dominicano en el Exterior (Index).
The Ministry of Foreign Relations says an ultimate goal is that the Unesco recognize Dominican cooking as intangible heritage of humanity.
Culinary consultant Zaira Rodríguez came for the launching of the Dominican culinary effort. She has been responsible for culinary campaigns for Thailand, Peru and Japan.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...plomacia-gastronomica-de-republica-dominicana
Curacao and DR work for signing of Partial Scope Agreement
Foreign Relations Minister Miguel Vargas and Minister of Economic Development of Curacao Ivan Steve Martina signed on Monday, 3 December 2018, the negotiation framework of a Partial Scope Agreement for increasing trade and cooperation between both countries. In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Relations explains that talks will now be stepped up to facilitate bilateral trade and find more ways both economies can complement each other.
Foreign Minister Vargas Maldonado pointed out that Dominican manufacturers can become important suppliers to the Curacao markets, and the countries can become strategic partners in tourism, positioning the two nations as an attractive multi-destination in the Caribbean.
Martina expressed optimism the agreement would be signed in the first months of 2019 and will be a win-win situation for both countries. “Minister, we are ready,” he said. “We are going to do business for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
Trade negotiations in the Dominican Republic are under the umbrella of the National Commission for Trade Negotiations (CNNC), an inter-institutional body, based at the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The signing took place at the convention center of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. Attending was Netherlands Ambassador Annemieke Verrijp; Campos de Moya, president of the Dominican Republic Association of Industries (AIRD); César Dargam, executive vice president of the National Business Council (Conep) and Marius de León, executive director of the Center for Export & Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD).
Participating for Curacao, together with Martina, were the president of the Permanent Commission for International Trade and International Economic Relations of Curacao, Caryl Monte; the Curacao customs agency director Soraya Pols-Strick, and the director of the Curacao Division for International Economic Cooperation, Vanessa Tore.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...-de-negociacion-de-acuerdo-de-alcance-parcial
Agreements signed with Serbia
Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas signed cooperation agreements in economics, academics with the government of Serbia. A framework for facilitating travel with Serbia was also agreed upon. It would allow for visa-free travel for 60 days in either country. The agreement was signed by Vargas and the Serbia minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dačić in Santo Domingo.
Vargas signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Establishing a Joint Work Group for Promotion of Trade, Investment and Productive linkages. The plan is to promote cooperation in trade and investment for bilateral benefit.
Another Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Ministry of Foreign Relations diplomats training center (Instituto de Educación Superior en Formación Diplomática y Consular del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de República Dominicana) and the diplomacy academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia for collaboration between both training centers.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...lica-de-serbia-convienen-supresion-de-visados
Dominican expats honored at National Theater
Dr. Rafael Antonio Lantigua, of the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City became the first recipient of the International Award to Dominican Migrants Oscar de la Renta during a ceremony held at the National Theater on Thursday, 6 December 2018. Attending to deliver the award were First Lady Candida Montilla and Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas. Also attending were judges of the award Jose Luis (Pepín) Corripio of Grupo Corripio, Haydee Kuret of Grupo Puntacana, and Eliza Bolen, for Oscar de la Renta.
The award ceremony marked the first public performance of the Hymn to Dominican Migrants, by singer-composer Frank Ceara. The show for the evening featured the performances of Maridalia Hernández, Héctor Aníbal, Eliacim, Ana Rivas, Carolina Rivas and Javier Grullón.
Lantigua was chosen from a short list of 10 worthy finalists who were:
Cultural promoter Alexandra Regalado Rojas, Canada
Physicians Bernarda Isabel Jiménez Clemente and Carlos Dante Heredia García, Spain.
Chef María Marte
Lawyer Jeannette Alfau Ortiz, Spain
Educator Rafael Antonia, Spain
Pediatrician Mario Paulino Payano, Puerto Rico
Natural health specialist Rosa M. Jaquez, New York
Agronomist Virginia Ramona Ramírez Zabala, Pennsylvania
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...l-al-emigrante-dominicano-sr-osca-de-la-renta
New Center for Infants with Disabilities
On Monday 10 December 2018, First Lady Candida Montilla broke ground for the construction of a Center for Infants with Disabilities in Punta Cana. She was accompanied by the Minister for Public Health, Rafael Sánchez, the director of he National Health Service, Chanel Rosa Chupany and the president of the Puntacana Group Foundation, Frank Rainieri.
The center will provide specialized attention for children up to 12 years old with Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and learning difficulties, with therapeutic intervention integrated with the family and the community.
http://eldia.com.do/dan-primer-pala...ntro-de-la-diversidad-infantil-en-punta-cana/
Natural gas finding in Villa Tapia?
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) is investigating the presence of what is thought to be natural gas in Villa Tapia, Hermanas Mirabal province. Ministry geologists say that the site is part of the Bloque Cibao Oriental where studies show there may be natural gas. The Ministry of Energy and Mines, nevertheless, warned that natural gas is highly flammable, so for security reasons access to the area is restricted to experts.
Energy Minister Antonio Isa Conde said that a team from the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the National Geological Service is looking into the finding. He said the area had already been included in the tender for petroleum and gas that is scheduled.
https://mem.gob.do/index.php/notici...a-estudio-geologico-para-determinar-dimension
Presidente beer brewery fined for anti-competitive practices
The board of the National Commission in Defense of Competition, (Procompetencia) has announced a fine of RD$46 million against the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (CND) for the abuse of its ‘dominant position’. The CND is the manufacturer of Presidente beer, now under ownership of Ambev, a Brazilian brewing company that is itself owned by Belgian company Anheuser-Busch InBev.
The fine was immediately rejected by the company. The fine is the maximum sanction established by law, and corresponds to 3,000 minimum salaries as announced in a press conference held by the director of Procompetencia, Yolanda Martínez.
Procompetencia also ordered CND to stop what they called abusive behavior and the cancelling of contracts underwritten under these conditions.
Procompetencia said that CND “was abusing its dominant position holding more than 98% of the market, imposing restrictions which had neither objective or economic justification, such as the imposition of resale prices, closing markets by means of exclusive distribution contracts, commercialization, promotion and publicity, restrictions of the visibility and space in the competitor brand displays”.
CND said that it would appeal to the Higher Administrative Court (TSA) and that its commercial activities, defending that its activities are carried out in the spirit of free competition with transparency.
https://almomento.net/la-cerveceria-eleva-recurso-ante-tsa-contra-medida-procompetencia/
Coal arrives for Punta Catalina thermoelectric central
A shipment arrived on Monday, 10 December 2018, with a cargo of 38,516 metric tons of coal to be used for the synchronization and tests of the first unit of the Punta Catalina thermoelectric plant starting in January 2019. The shipment was dispatched by the US Xcoal Energy & Resources to the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE). Xcoal recently was contracted to provide the 642,000 metric tons of coal to be used in the start of operations of the plant.
Executive vice president of the CDEEE, Rubén Jiménez Bichara, said that in the next few days another public bid would be held for the purchase of 788,000 metric tons for the second unit of the plant.
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...-carbon-para-primera-unidad-de-punta-catalina
Santo Domingo Metro ceases to function of unknown causes
On Monday, 10 December 2018, the first line of the Santo Domingo Metro was out of service due to a system failure that has not been identified. According to passengers, the line went down at around 7:45am, a peak travel time, affecting travelers commuting between the stations of Gregorio Luperon and José Francisco Peña Gómez.
Following around ten minutes at a standstill, the train operator managed to get the cars to Peña Gómez station, where the passengers disembarked. Although same passengers were in a state of panic, it was reported that all throughout the stoppage the electricity and air conditioning continued to function.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-poco-tiempo-y-provoca-panico-entre-pasajeros
Judgment against government in Sun Land case is reversed
A US$50 million default judgment has been reversed in favor of the Dominican Republic, as reported in law.com’s Daily Business Review. The case involves a US$51.8 million irrigation construction contract awarded in 2001 to Sun Land & RGITC LLC and Architectural Ingenieria Siglo XXI LLC (AIS). As reported, construction had begun in March 2004 but ran into several delays. Nearly five years later, the governmental hydraulic agency, Indrhi, terminated the contract, claiming force majeure because of difficulties financing the project. Sun Land and AIS sued Indrhi and the Dominican Republic in 2013, seeking breach-of-contract damages of more than US$50 million.
When the Dominican Republic and Indrhi failed to respond to the suit, the contractors were awarded the default judgment. Lawyers from the firm of Holland & Knight were contracted and convinced a Miami federal judge to reject most of the breach-of-contract claims filed by the two Miami construction companies.
In the event judgment was made against Indrhi who were said to owe damages of US$576,000 judgment to AIS, which was far less than the $30 million claimed against the defendants.
https://www.law.com/dailybusinessre...then-avoids-liability-for-dominican-republic/
Oldest Dominican dies at 117 years
On Thursday, 6 December 2018, the oldest known Dominican in the country died, as reported in Listin Diario. Jaime (Jaimito) Vicente was born in January 1901 in Hondo Valle, Elías Piña, and would have been 118 on 28 January 2019. He was a farmer, and enjoyed singing, especially bachatas, as reported in Diario Libre.
He lived to see two US interventions, the regimes of Ramón Cáceres and Horacio Vásquez, the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, and the long governments of Joaquín Balaguer and Leonel Fernandez.
According to statistics, only Jeanne Calment, from France, aged 122 and Sarah Knauss of the United States, at 119, are older than him. There are another seven citizens of Japan, United States, Canada, Jamaica and Italy who reached more than 117 years old.
Even though Hondo Valle is a poor area on the border with Haiti, there are many citizens there who work up to an advanced age with mentally agile.
Vicente leaves behind an extended family. He had 15 children all with his one-time late wife, Angela Encarnación (Lola) who died in 2005 at 78 years. He is survived by six daughers and one son. His eldest daughter is Celia, who is 90 years old. He had 47 grandchildren and 114 great grandchildren.
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2018/12/10/545098/murio-el-hombre-mas-longevo-del-pais
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...vo-fallecido-a-los-117-anos-tuvo-quince-hijos
https://www.diariolibre.com/revista...nietos-su-hija-mayor-tiene-90-anos-AG11607632
Over 100 extra-judicial executions
According to the president of the National Commission of Human Rights, Manuel María Mercedes, there have been at least 115 extra judicial executions so far this year, and called on the head of the National Police, General Ney Aldrín Bautista to do something about it. The information came from a study that covered issues such as health, citizen safety, rights of women and children and the LGBTIQ population. The study showed that 86.3% of the population thinks that are others who should be charged in the Odebrecht bribe case, and that 16.7% of the population have suffered a robbery in the last year.
http://eldia.com.do/en-lo-que-va-de...15-ejecuciones-extrajudiciales-segun-informe/
Polyplas explosion update
Five days after the Wednesday, 5 December 2018, tragic explosion at the Polyplas plastics factory in Villas Agrícolas, Distrito Nacional, the director of the Center for Emergency Operations, Juan Manuel Mendez announced rescue operations had concluded after no more missing persons had been reported related to the explosion. The toll of the accident is eight dead, 103 injured and 25 families affected. Efforts are now concentrated at the site on the removal of debris and cleanup.
Three more of the injured are hospitalized at the Ney Arias Lora burn unit, with serious burns at 50% of their bodies. The Ministry of Public Works is assisting 63 houses in the neighborhood that were affected by the explosion.
The deceased have been identified as: 55 years old Rafael Contreras Báez; 46-year old Claudio Hernandez Jimenez; 49-year old Julio Salazar Mejia; 31 year old Ronny Vargas; 44 year old Jose Alberto Encarnación; 49-year old Manuel Esteban Rosario Ramírez, a contractor for the company. The National Institute of Forensic Sciences is working to identify the corpses of two women that could be Rosa Melia Núñez and Maria Altagracia Garabito, both Polyplas employees who are missing.
The Fire Department issued their preliminary report on the accident establishing the explosion originated in the natural gas escape at the time when the fuel was fed from a Propagas tanker truck to the main tank of the factory. The report states: "It is presumed by the statements of the operator that when he realized the leak he tried to stop it but it was too late". The truck operator, Jimmy Gutiérrez, told firefighters that the gas leak disoriented him and the burns he received "restricted his movements delaying his shutting off the emergency valve of the truck's tank.
It is reported that Gutiérrez asked the Polyplas staff to "turn everything off", but he says he was told by the security of the company that they could not do so "because the whole system would be shut down." The report of the Fire Department states that it could not verify if the company had leak detection devices. Nor was it possible to verify if the emergency alarms worked.
http://hoy.com.do/finaliza-busqueda-en-polyplas-el-sabado-encontraron-cadaver/
http://hoy.com.do/cuerpo-bomberos-determina-escape-de-gas-natural-provoco-la-explosion/
https://elnacional.com.do/polyplas-atribuye-a-propagas-escape-gas/
Man sentenced for human trafficking
The Segundo Tribunal Colegiado, a court in Santiago, sentenced Yoryi Randol Vargas to 10 years in prison for trafficking in migrants. Vargas had been arrested after army intelligence officers on 23 July 2016 inspected a five-person vehicle in which he was transporting 22 Haitian nationals, including 13 men, six women and three minors, all without any legal documentation.
http://hoy.com.do/condenan-por-10-anos-de-prision-a-un-hombre-por-traer-haitianos-de-manera-ilegal/
Long Night of the Museums in the Colonial City
Museums and cultural centers will remain open until late on 15 December 2018. For the closing of the day, the Ministry of Culture is sponsoring a “Merengue, Patrimonio Cultural de las Americas” concert to celebrate that merengue music and dance was honored as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO in 2016. The merengue show features Dioni Fernandez and his orchestra, singer Ileana Reynoso, Eddy Manuel and the Conjunto Quisqueya and starts at 6pm at the Plaza España when the Long Night of Museums will open with the presence of Culture Minister Eduardo Selman.
Country launches culinary diplomacy
Curacao and DR work for signing of Partial Scope Agreement
Agreements signed with Serbia
Dominican expats honored at National Theater
New Center for Infants with Disabilities
Natural gas finding in Villa Tapia?
Presidente beer brewery fined for anti-competitive practices
Coal arrives for Punta Catalina thermoelectric central
Santo Domingo Metro breaks down with unknown fault
Judgment against government in Sun Land case is reversed
Oldest Dominican dies at 117 years
Polyplas explosion update
Man sentenced for people smuggling
Long Night of the Museums in the Colonial City
Four new Constitutional Court judges
The National Council of the Magistracy (CNM) announced on 10 December 2018 the replacements for four retiring Constitutional Court judges. They are career judges Alba Luisa Beard and Domingo Antonio Gil, and professors of law José Alejandro Ayuso and Miguel Valera Montero. They will be sworn in at 6:30pm at 11 December 2018 at the Presidential Palace. Rafael Díaz Filpo was also chosen first replacement of the Constitutional Court presiding judge, Milton Ray Guevara.
Read some details of their backgrounds:
65-year old Domingo Antonio Gil is a graduate of the Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) and has several master's degrees in protection of human rights, rights and fundamental freedoms and their guarantees. He is also a professor of law at the PUCMM and has published several academic works on Law.
Puerto Plata-born Alba Luisa Beard was the judge who heard the case of Bahía de Las Águilas whereby annulled 1,066 property titles issued to individuals in a fraudulent manner were annulled. She currently serves as judge of the Eighth Chamber of the Land Court of the Original Jurisdiction of the National District.
41-year old Miguel Valera Montero is a founding partner of De Camps Vásquez & Valera and co-leader of the litigation and alternative dispute resolution practice group at the firm. His professional practice focuses mainly on litigation and alternative dispute resolution processes, with emphasis on civil and commercial litigation, constitutional law and administrative matters. He is a professor of law at the PUCMM.
54-year old José Alejandro Ayuso is a lawyer and consultant with more than 25 years of professional practice in the private and public sector. He is a graduate in law of the UNPHU with masters studies in universities in Spain and France. He is a professor of International Economic Law and coordinator of the Master in International Relations at the PUCMM.
The National Council of Magistracy selection committee was made up by:
Mariano Germán Mejía, president of the Supreme Court of Justice; Reinaldo Pared Pérez, president of the Senate; Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez; Radhamés Camacho, president of the Chamber of Deputies; José Paliza, senator for Puerto Plata and president of the Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM); Josefa Castillo, deputy for the PRM; and Fran Soto, Supreme Court of Justice judge and CNM secretary.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...-ayuso-y-miguel-valera-nuevos-jueces-tribunal
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-constitucional-ya-cuenta-con-4-nuevos-jueces
http://detrasdelrumor.com.do/conozc...ro-nuevos-jueces-del-tribunal-constitucional/
https://www.cdn.com.do/2018/12/10/c...ro-nuevos-jueces-del-tribunal-constitucional/
Country launches culinary diplomacy
The Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) presented on Friday, 7 December 2018, what it describes as its strategy for culinary diplomacy. The plan is to use Dominican missions abroad to promote Dominican cuisine. A unit has been created as a dependency of the Deputy Ministry for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation at the Ministry. Ines Páez, better known as Chef Tita, is the advisor to the plan.
Minister Miguel Vargas announced in a press release that the country had already been declared the capital of culinary culture for the Caribbean by the
Academia Iberoamericana de Gastronomía and the Real Academia Española de Gastronomía. This creates a stage to share our culinary attributes with the rest of the world, says the Ministry.
Vargas said that a public-private consulting board is backing the effort. Members are the ministries of Agriculture, Tourism, Culture, the Center for Export & Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), the Dominican Exporters Association (Adoexpo), the National Hotels and Tourism Association (Asonahores), clusters and Dominican culinary associations.
A Culinary Diplomacy Manual will be prepared for use by the embassies, consulates and the Instituto del Dominicano en el Exterior (Index).
The Ministry of Foreign Relations says an ultimate goal is that the Unesco recognize Dominican cooking as intangible heritage of humanity.
Culinary consultant Zaira Rodríguez came for the launching of the Dominican culinary effort. She has been responsible for culinary campaigns for Thailand, Peru and Japan.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...plomacia-gastronomica-de-republica-dominicana
Curacao and DR work for signing of Partial Scope Agreement
Foreign Relations Minister Miguel Vargas and Minister of Economic Development of Curacao Ivan Steve Martina signed on Monday, 3 December 2018, the negotiation framework of a Partial Scope Agreement for increasing trade and cooperation between both countries. In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Relations explains that talks will now be stepped up to facilitate bilateral trade and find more ways both economies can complement each other.
Foreign Minister Vargas Maldonado pointed out that Dominican manufacturers can become important suppliers to the Curacao markets, and the countries can become strategic partners in tourism, positioning the two nations as an attractive multi-destination in the Caribbean.
Martina expressed optimism the agreement would be signed in the first months of 2019 and will be a win-win situation for both countries. “Minister, we are ready,” he said. “We are going to do business for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
Trade negotiations in the Dominican Republic are under the umbrella of the National Commission for Trade Negotiations (CNNC), an inter-institutional body, based at the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The signing took place at the convention center of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. Attending was Netherlands Ambassador Annemieke Verrijp; Campos de Moya, president of the Dominican Republic Association of Industries (AIRD); César Dargam, executive vice president of the National Business Council (Conep) and Marius de León, executive director of the Center for Export & Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD).
Participating for Curacao, together with Martina, were the president of the Permanent Commission for International Trade and International Economic Relations of Curacao, Caryl Monte; the Curacao customs agency director Soraya Pols-Strick, and the director of the Curacao Division for International Economic Cooperation, Vanessa Tore.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...-de-negociacion-de-acuerdo-de-alcance-parcial
Agreements signed with Serbia
Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas signed cooperation agreements in economics, academics with the government of Serbia. A framework for facilitating travel with Serbia was also agreed upon. It would allow for visa-free travel for 60 days in either country. The agreement was signed by Vargas and the Serbia minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dačić in Santo Domingo.
Vargas signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Establishing a Joint Work Group for Promotion of Trade, Investment and Productive linkages. The plan is to promote cooperation in trade and investment for bilateral benefit.
Another Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Ministry of Foreign Relations diplomats training center (Instituto de Educación Superior en Formación Diplomática y Consular del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de República Dominicana) and the diplomacy academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia for collaboration between both training centers.
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...lica-de-serbia-convienen-supresion-de-visados
Dominican expats honored at National Theater
Dr. Rafael Antonio Lantigua, of the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City became the first recipient of the International Award to Dominican Migrants Oscar de la Renta during a ceremony held at the National Theater on Thursday, 6 December 2018. Attending to deliver the award were First Lady Candida Montilla and Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas. Also attending were judges of the award Jose Luis (Pepín) Corripio of Grupo Corripio, Haydee Kuret of Grupo Puntacana, and Eliza Bolen, for Oscar de la Renta.
The award ceremony marked the first public performance of the Hymn to Dominican Migrants, by singer-composer Frank Ceara. The show for the evening featured the performances of Maridalia Hernández, Héctor Aníbal, Eliacim, Ana Rivas, Carolina Rivas and Javier Grullón.
Lantigua was chosen from a short list of 10 worthy finalists who were:
Cultural promoter Alexandra Regalado Rojas, Canada
Physicians Bernarda Isabel Jiménez Clemente and Carlos Dante Heredia García, Spain.
Chef María Marte
Lawyer Jeannette Alfau Ortiz, Spain
Educator Rafael Antonia, Spain
Pediatrician Mario Paulino Payano, Puerto Rico
Natural health specialist Rosa M. Jaquez, New York
Agronomist Virginia Ramona Ramírez Zabala, Pennsylvania
http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...l-al-emigrante-dominicano-sr-osca-de-la-renta
New Center for Infants with Disabilities
On Monday 10 December 2018, First Lady Candida Montilla broke ground for the construction of a Center for Infants with Disabilities in Punta Cana. She was accompanied by the Minister for Public Health, Rafael Sánchez, the director of he National Health Service, Chanel Rosa Chupany and the president of the Puntacana Group Foundation, Frank Rainieri.
The center will provide specialized attention for children up to 12 years old with Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and learning difficulties, with therapeutic intervention integrated with the family and the community.
http://eldia.com.do/dan-primer-pala...ntro-de-la-diversidad-infantil-en-punta-cana/
Natural gas finding in Villa Tapia?
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) is investigating the presence of what is thought to be natural gas in Villa Tapia, Hermanas Mirabal province. Ministry geologists say that the site is part of the Bloque Cibao Oriental where studies show there may be natural gas. The Ministry of Energy and Mines, nevertheless, warned that natural gas is highly flammable, so for security reasons access to the area is restricted to experts.
Energy Minister Antonio Isa Conde said that a team from the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the National Geological Service is looking into the finding. He said the area had already been included in the tender for petroleum and gas that is scheduled.
https://mem.gob.do/index.php/notici...a-estudio-geologico-para-determinar-dimension
Presidente beer brewery fined for anti-competitive practices
The board of the National Commission in Defense of Competition, (Procompetencia) has announced a fine of RD$46 million against the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (CND) for the abuse of its ‘dominant position’. The CND is the manufacturer of Presidente beer, now under ownership of Ambev, a Brazilian brewing company that is itself owned by Belgian company Anheuser-Busch InBev.
The fine was immediately rejected by the company. The fine is the maximum sanction established by law, and corresponds to 3,000 minimum salaries as announced in a press conference held by the director of Procompetencia, Yolanda Martínez.
Procompetencia also ordered CND to stop what they called abusive behavior and the cancelling of contracts underwritten under these conditions.
Procompetencia said that CND “was abusing its dominant position holding more than 98% of the market, imposing restrictions which had neither objective or economic justification, such as the imposition of resale prices, closing markets by means of exclusive distribution contracts, commercialization, promotion and publicity, restrictions of the visibility and space in the competitor brand displays”.
CND said that it would appeal to the Higher Administrative Court (TSA) and that its commercial activities, defending that its activities are carried out in the spirit of free competition with transparency.
https://almomento.net/la-cerveceria-eleva-recurso-ante-tsa-contra-medida-procompetencia/
Coal arrives for Punta Catalina thermoelectric central
A shipment arrived on Monday, 10 December 2018, with a cargo of 38,516 metric tons of coal to be used for the synchronization and tests of the first unit of the Punta Catalina thermoelectric plant starting in January 2019. The shipment was dispatched by the US Xcoal Energy & Resources to the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE). Xcoal recently was contracted to provide the 642,000 metric tons of coal to be used in the start of operations of the plant.
Executive vice president of the CDEEE, Rubén Jiménez Bichara, said that in the next few days another public bid would be held for the purchase of 788,000 metric tons for the second unit of the plant.
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...-carbon-para-primera-unidad-de-punta-catalina
Santo Domingo Metro ceases to function of unknown causes
On Monday, 10 December 2018, the first line of the Santo Domingo Metro was out of service due to a system failure that has not been identified. According to passengers, the line went down at around 7:45am, a peak travel time, affecting travelers commuting between the stations of Gregorio Luperon and José Francisco Peña Gómez.
Following around ten minutes at a standstill, the train operator managed to get the cars to Peña Gómez station, where the passengers disembarked. Although same passengers were in a state of panic, it was reported that all throughout the stoppage the electricity and air conditioning continued to function.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-poco-tiempo-y-provoca-panico-entre-pasajeros
Judgment against government in Sun Land case is reversed
A US$50 million default judgment has been reversed in favor of the Dominican Republic, as reported in law.com’s Daily Business Review. The case involves a US$51.8 million irrigation construction contract awarded in 2001 to Sun Land & RGITC LLC and Architectural Ingenieria Siglo XXI LLC (AIS). As reported, construction had begun in March 2004 but ran into several delays. Nearly five years later, the governmental hydraulic agency, Indrhi, terminated the contract, claiming force majeure because of difficulties financing the project. Sun Land and AIS sued Indrhi and the Dominican Republic in 2013, seeking breach-of-contract damages of more than US$50 million.
When the Dominican Republic and Indrhi failed to respond to the suit, the contractors were awarded the default judgment. Lawyers from the firm of Holland & Knight were contracted and convinced a Miami federal judge to reject most of the breach-of-contract claims filed by the two Miami construction companies.
In the event judgment was made against Indrhi who were said to owe damages of US$576,000 judgment to AIS, which was far less than the $30 million claimed against the defendants.
https://www.law.com/dailybusinessre...then-avoids-liability-for-dominican-republic/
Oldest Dominican dies at 117 years
On Thursday, 6 December 2018, the oldest known Dominican in the country died, as reported in Listin Diario. Jaime (Jaimito) Vicente was born in January 1901 in Hondo Valle, Elías Piña, and would have been 118 on 28 January 2019. He was a farmer, and enjoyed singing, especially bachatas, as reported in Diario Libre.
He lived to see two US interventions, the regimes of Ramón Cáceres and Horacio Vásquez, the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, and the long governments of Joaquín Balaguer and Leonel Fernandez.
According to statistics, only Jeanne Calment, from France, aged 122 and Sarah Knauss of the United States, at 119, are older than him. There are another seven citizens of Japan, United States, Canada, Jamaica and Italy who reached more than 117 years old.
Even though Hondo Valle is a poor area on the border with Haiti, there are many citizens there who work up to an advanced age with mentally agile.
Vicente leaves behind an extended family. He had 15 children all with his one-time late wife, Angela Encarnación (Lola) who died in 2005 at 78 years. He is survived by six daughers and one son. His eldest daughter is Celia, who is 90 years old. He had 47 grandchildren and 114 great grandchildren.
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2018/12/10/545098/murio-el-hombre-mas-longevo-del-pais
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...vo-fallecido-a-los-117-anos-tuvo-quince-hijos
https://www.diariolibre.com/revista...nietos-su-hija-mayor-tiene-90-anos-AG11607632
Over 100 extra-judicial executions
According to the president of the National Commission of Human Rights, Manuel María Mercedes, there have been at least 115 extra judicial executions so far this year, and called on the head of the National Police, General Ney Aldrín Bautista to do something about it. The information came from a study that covered issues such as health, citizen safety, rights of women and children and the LGBTIQ population. The study showed that 86.3% of the population thinks that are others who should be charged in the Odebrecht bribe case, and that 16.7% of the population have suffered a robbery in the last year.
http://eldia.com.do/en-lo-que-va-de...15-ejecuciones-extrajudiciales-segun-informe/
Polyplas explosion update
Five days after the Wednesday, 5 December 2018, tragic explosion at the Polyplas plastics factory in Villas Agrícolas, Distrito Nacional, the director of the Center for Emergency Operations, Juan Manuel Mendez announced rescue operations had concluded after no more missing persons had been reported related to the explosion. The toll of the accident is eight dead, 103 injured and 25 families affected. Efforts are now concentrated at the site on the removal of debris and cleanup.
Three more of the injured are hospitalized at the Ney Arias Lora burn unit, with serious burns at 50% of their bodies. The Ministry of Public Works is assisting 63 houses in the neighborhood that were affected by the explosion.
The deceased have been identified as: 55 years old Rafael Contreras Báez; 46-year old Claudio Hernandez Jimenez; 49-year old Julio Salazar Mejia; 31 year old Ronny Vargas; 44 year old Jose Alberto Encarnación; 49-year old Manuel Esteban Rosario Ramírez, a contractor for the company. The National Institute of Forensic Sciences is working to identify the corpses of two women that could be Rosa Melia Núñez and Maria Altagracia Garabito, both Polyplas employees who are missing.
The Fire Department issued their preliminary report on the accident establishing the explosion originated in the natural gas escape at the time when the fuel was fed from a Propagas tanker truck to the main tank of the factory. The report states: "It is presumed by the statements of the operator that when he realized the leak he tried to stop it but it was too late". The truck operator, Jimmy Gutiérrez, told firefighters that the gas leak disoriented him and the burns he received "restricted his movements delaying his shutting off the emergency valve of the truck's tank.
It is reported that Gutiérrez asked the Polyplas staff to "turn everything off", but he says he was told by the security of the company that they could not do so "because the whole system would be shut down." The report of the Fire Department states that it could not verify if the company had leak detection devices. Nor was it possible to verify if the emergency alarms worked.
http://hoy.com.do/finaliza-busqueda-en-polyplas-el-sabado-encontraron-cadaver/
http://hoy.com.do/cuerpo-bomberos-determina-escape-de-gas-natural-provoco-la-explosion/
https://elnacional.com.do/polyplas-atribuye-a-propagas-escape-gas/
Man sentenced for human trafficking
The Segundo Tribunal Colegiado, a court in Santiago, sentenced Yoryi Randol Vargas to 10 years in prison for trafficking in migrants. Vargas had been arrested after army intelligence officers on 23 July 2016 inspected a five-person vehicle in which he was transporting 22 Haitian nationals, including 13 men, six women and three minors, all without any legal documentation.
http://hoy.com.do/condenan-por-10-anos-de-prision-a-un-hombre-por-traer-haitianos-de-manera-ilegal/
Long Night of the Museums in the Colonial City
Museums and cultural centers will remain open until late on 15 December 2018. For the closing of the day, the Ministry of Culture is sponsoring a “Merengue, Patrimonio Cultural de las Americas” concert to celebrate that merengue music and dance was honored as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO in 2016. The merengue show features Dioni Fernandez and his orchestra, singer Ileana Reynoso, Eddy Manuel and the Conjunto Quisqueya and starts at 6pm at the Plaza España when the Long Night of Museums will open with the presence of Culture Minister Eduardo Selman.